Child's Play: Hide And Seek
by TheFifthSister
Summary: Myka and H.G. spend an afternoon playing with their daughter.


Myka and H.G. returned from a mission a couple of hours ago, picked Emma up from Leena who'd looked after her for the last few days and whisked off to spend some family time together. Having hastily thrown a few things in a basket and grabbed a blanket, they spent the afternoon picnicking in the woods near their home.

Helena spread out the blanket and watched as Emma rode on Myka's back as the two of them plucked flowers from the blossoming trees overhead. Emma loved when her mother gave her piggy back rides; Helena suspected it was because Myka was the tallest of all of them and Emma loved being up high, especially when she wanted to reach the Twizzlers in the cupboard.

She listened to the sounds of childish glee radiating from Emma and the laughter bubbling from Myka as Emma spotted a butterfly and was trying to enthusiastically steer her mother to chase after it. Helena smiled at this vision of her family, how happy Emma was and how carefree Myka was when she played with her. Emma had changed them both, she'd allowed Helena to become a little more whole and she'd bought out the child in Myka and Helena loved sitting back and watching the two of them play.

She laid out the food, mostly snacks. Fruit, bread, some cheeses, cookies for Emma. Enough to keep them fed for the afternoon before going home for dinner later on. Looking up at the squeals that rang through the trees Helena watched as Emma sprinted across the grass towards her with Myka in close pursuit. She just avoided Myka grabbing her and ducked behind Helena to hide. Helena laughed and looked over her shoulder, eye to eye with the brown eyes that were peeking over her shoulder holding a glint she could easily recognise whenever she looked in the mirror.

"What did you do to your Mama?"

"_You're_ daughter found a dandelion and blew it all over me," Myka explained as she shook her top and hair out to get the seeds off herself.

"Why are you always _my_ daughter when you're mischievous, hmm?" It was a question addressed to Emma but really it was intended for Myka. Emma responded with a devilish grin which was entirely in Helena's image. Myka laughed at the sight and joined Helena on the blanket.

"She gets it from you," Myka pulled some grapes of the bunch that was next to her and popped one in her mouth as she threw one at Helena.

Helena pulled Emma into her lap and Emma gave her the flowers she'd been collecting. They sat eating and enjoying the sunshine as Emma told them stories about what she'd been getting up to with her Aunts and Uncles the last few days. She had a great imagination but considering their line of work sometimes it was hard to distinguish were a tale ended and reality set in. Emma was a happy, well adjusted child though and she was happy to have her parents with her, hugging them constantly and switching laps every few minutes.

"Mama, can we play hide and seek?" Emma asked Myka, batting her eyelashes and throwing her arms around her neck.

"Why don't you hide and I'll come find you," Myka said rubbing noses with her.

"Okay," she ran over to Helena, grabbed her hand and started trying to pull her up. "Come on Mummy, we're gonna hide. Mama, close your eyes and count." Helena smirked at her bossiness and shot Myka a look.

"Now who does she take after?" Myka just wrinkled her nose in response and Helena laughed. Helena got to her feet and let Emma lead her away. "Let's find somewhere Mama won't find us." She told her daughter.

"Or I could just leave you two here and finally have some peace and quiet," Myka shouted after them.

"You can't live without me," Helena shot back over her shoulder and carried on walking until they'd disappeared.

Myka smiled, spreading out on the blanket and leaving them to their fun knowing that Emma would announce when she was ready to be found as she always did. She hadn't quite grasped the concept of making someone count before they came to find her. Myka settled in, grabbing some more grapes and listening to the sounds around her.

"Mama," a sing-song voice called out.

Myka smiled, jumped to her feet and headed off in the direction she knew Helena and Emma had gone. She hadn't walked too far before she could hear the muffled giggling. She could just picture her daughter peeking, thinking she had the best hiding space and had outsmarted her mother. The trouble was Myka was struggling to find the hiding space. She'd started out pretending to not be able to find her daughter and wife but now she really was having difficulty doing so. She walked a little further but pulled up short when she heard Helena says "ooh, getting cold darling," but was unsure where the voice had come from, the trees making it bounce around a little.  
Suddenly she was struck by leaves and looked up to find Helena and Emma perched in the tree above and smiling down at her, both wiggling their fingers at her and a smug grin plastering Helena's face.

"Wha – how?" Myka shook herself free of leaves, looking up at them with her hands on her hips. "When did you sneak it into the basket?" she asked Helena, foot tapping on the grass.

"What, this?" Helena smirked as she hefted her grappler in her hands, wrapping her arm around Emma and lowering them back down to the ground as Emma squealed in delight.

"You know that could be considered cheating."

"All is fair in love and hide and seek, Myka," Helena joked.

"That was fun Mummy," Emma wrapped her arms around her waist and squeezed her. "We were so high up. Higher than the birds!"

Myka and Helena smiled at her. Fearless. It both amazed and scared them sometimes.

"Okay, come on Mama," Emma decided she'd had enough of standing around and wanted to get back to her game. She took hold of Myka's hand and started to pull her away. "Cover your eyes and count Mummy!"

Myka looked at Helena as Emma pulled her away and they laughed, knowing just how much like her parents their daughter really was.


End file.
